With 24 votes in favour, nine
against and three abstentions, the IOF’s Extraordinary General
Assembly, held this morning in Scotland, decided for a radical change
in the program of the World Orienteering Championships, splitting it
into “urban” and “forest”. But from the meeting came another
important decision: Portugal will organize the World Trail
Orienteering Championships WTOC 2019.
It's official: Portugal will
organize the World Trail Orienteering Championships in 2019! Launched
with determination and great sense of responsibility, the application
submitted by the Portuguese Orienteering Federation, which has just
been elected by the International body, point the Viseu region as the
event’s venue. Of undeniable value in terms of terrains’ quality
and complexity, this wide area in the Centre of Portugal offers
unique conditions for the practice of this discipline, so we can
expect a high level event. Waiting for everyone, are four years of
tremendous work, sure that that the Portuguese Orienteering will be,
once again, highly dignified.
But the central issue of the
Extraordinary General Assembly of the International Orienteering
Federation, had to do with the proposal to reorganize the World
Orienteering Championships’ program, dividing it into “urban”
and “forest”. Briefly: the discussion, in general, focused on the
possibility that, from 2019 (inclusive), the World Championships to
be held with different programs in alternate years. In odd years, the
forest World Championships (referred to as “WOC”), would give the
world titles in the said forest distances, ie, Middle Distance, Long
Distance and classic Relay. In even years, would take place the urban
World Championships (referred as “WOC Sprint”), with the titles
of Sprint and Mixed Sprint Relay in dispute.
Discussion continues “in the
specialty”
Recognizing the general lack of ability
to organize an event with the dimension of a World Championship
within the parameters of quality and visibility that Orienteering
requires and deserves - “only ten nations can organize, and all are
in Europe”, assured Brian Porteous, the IOF’s President, during
his speech - was certainly the basis of a decision taken in the short
space of one hour by the large majority of the delegates present at
the meeting. The words of the Danish delegate, in the period
dedicated to the discussion of the proposal, are clear: “There is
no interest in postpone the decision, we need to act now.” The 24
votes in favour, 9 against and three abstentions seem to indicate
unequivocally a course change, although many questions can stay in
the air.
From the set of interventions at the
meeting this morning, highlight especially the conviction of Brian
Porteous, behind the proposal, that the new model will greatly
increase the number of potential organizers, the reduction in the
number of days of competition will reduce the associated costs of
organization and participation and that will be necessary to
establish, within the IOF, a technical body and team responsible for
the Arena, to ensure a high level of organizational quality
standards. Brian Porteous also listed a number of cities that, in the
new format, will be able to receive a Sprint WOC, almost all of them
outside Europe (Edmonton, Melbourne, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur). The
proposal goes now to be detailled. Basically, the decision to
reorganize the program of the World Championships was taken, but
nobody knows how things will be done. The details should be known in
the IOF’s General Assembly, next year.
[Source: World of O, at
http://news.worldofo.com/2015/08/06/liveblog-iof-ex-general-assembly/.
The Portuguese Orienteering Blog wish to thank Jan Kocbach's
tremendous effort and commitment, in bringing to us, in real time,
the important developments issued from the IOF’s Extraordinary
General Assembly]
Joaquim Margarido
